Transcript Highlights:

• We are working with the consultant in terms of scoping out and the development as to really work towards
• and Law Fund in the budget year. ...$150 million budgetary loan from the Unfair Competition and Law
• If it looks like this new connection will not be developed, tested, and ready for use by July of 2026
• get new counsel, or to even retain the experienced counsel we have, because the salaries are not competitive
• Because the salaries are not competitive.

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision presentations for the Office of Emergency Services, Judicial Branch, CDCR, and the Department of Justice, with the LAO offering comments and recommendations throughout. For Cal OES, the administration outlined funding for relocating the Red Mountain communications site, increased FEMA reimbursement authority, cybersecurity grants, next-generation 911 support, and a reduction to the Flexible Cash Assistance for Survivors of Crime program. Members raised concerns about VOCA backfill and disaster reimbursement, while the LAO recommended approving the 911 request with reporting, adding contingency planning for cybersecurity grants, clarifying the FEMA reimbursement language, and increasing reporting on emergency spending. For the Judicial Branch, the May Revision included funding for implementation of the Trial Nations Access to Justice Act, reductions tied to court facilities and employee benefits, and General Fund solutions such as a reduction to the pretrial release program, a reversion from the Trial Court Trust Fund, and elimination of the jury duty pilot program. The LAO cautioned that the pretrial reduction could affect detention and release decisions and recommended tighter legislative oversight over the trust fund transfer and reallocation language. Members questioned the impact of the pretrial cut, the lack of Prop. 36 court funding, and the rationale for the jury pilot elimination; the Judicial Branch said it was generally supportive of the budget as proposed. CDCR presented requests for roof repairs, fire alarm replacements, CalAIM-related costs, and trailer bill changes on incarcerated college students, mental health hiring, and tuberculosis testing, along with a planned prison closure by October 2026. The department also proposed reducing or delaying several items, including radio replacement, ADA improvements, COVID mitigation, and some facility upgrades, while adding a $125 million placeholder for consultant-driven operational savings. The LAO recommended rejecting or reducing several San Quentin-related proposals, questioned the staffing and contract medical requests, and urged more transparency on the consultant savings plan; members expressed concern about the realism of the savings targets and the potential legal or operational risks from delaying ADA and radio projects. For DOJ, the May Revision proposed ongoing funding and 44 positions to defend against federal actions, IT and accounting system upgrades, implementation funding for AB 1877, and a special fund loan. The LAO supported the KLETS connection but asked for a contingency plan if the new DMV link is delayed, noted that AB 1877 would not be fully implemented without additional funding, and recommended limiting and reporting on the federal accountability workload. Members questioned the size and permanence of the DOJ request, the use of the earlier $25 million special session appropriation, and the pace of federal litigation; DOJ said the new request would support ongoing litigation, expert assistance, and coordination across multiple cases and states.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there a deadline to develop something?
• something July 1 is deadline to develop something July 1 is the<00:26:21.600> deadline<00:26:
• The program was developed with the Hawaii State Hospital, which is the second largest employer on our
• <02:44:13.640> a you want to keep it and you develop a you want to keep it and you develop
• If we are not competitive with that price, they won't come at all.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the management plan the head developing the management plan the head of<01:19:47.480> trails<
• <01:24:48.760> of<01:24:48.920> our the economic development of our the economic development
• Majority of the committee on Resources, Recreation and Development, to which was referred House Bill
• <01:28:54.360> to resources Recreation and development to resources Recreation and development
• House Bill 334, FN, act relative to the comprehensive state development plan, was considered.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a competitive issue for independent pharmacies.
• So from our perspective, we think that the pharmacy market is very competitive.
• So there's a lot of competition.
• longer need to occur with proper access and affordability, with the newer medicines that have been developed
• Our specialists spend hours diagnosing patients and developing personal treatment plans, only for the

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a lengthy hearing on a large docket of pharmacy and drug-pricing bills, with most testimony focused on PBM reform, 340B drug discount program protections, specialty medication access, and medication adherence. Chair James Murphy and Senator Paul Feeney opened the hearing and took testimony from legislators, patient advocates, pharmacists, health center leaders, industry representatives, and policy groups. Several speakers described delays, denials, high out-of-pocket costs, and pharmacy closures tied to PBM practices, while others emphasized the importance of community health centers and independent pharmacies in serving patients. On the 340B program, supporters including Senator Eldridge, Senator Payano, Community Care Cooperative, Fenway Health, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and several community health center leaders argued that bills such as H. 1107 and S. 819 would stop discriminatory PBM and manufacturer practices, preserve contract pharmacy access, and protect safety-net providers that say they reinvest savings into care, pharmacy expansion, interpreter services, behavioral health, and other services. Opponents including PhRMA, the Community Liver Alliance, and a public policy analyst argued the program lacks transparency and accountability, has grown beyond its original purpose, and may benefit large hospitals and for-profit entities more than low-income patients. They urged more reporting and oversight rather than expanding protections. On PBM reform, testimony supported bills including H. 1157, H. 1234, S. 724, S. 831, and related measures that would require rebate pass-through, ban spread pricing, limit steering to PBM-owned pharmacies, and improve reimbursement for community pharmacies. Independent pharmacists and patients said current PBM practices raise costs, create administrative burdens, and threaten access to local pharmacies. PCMA, representing PBMs, opposed the reforms, arguing PBMs lower costs, that plan sponsors choose to contract with them, and that the Health Policy Commission and CHIA should complete their ongoing study before new mandates are adopted. The committee also heard support for H. 1322 and S. 734 on specialty medications, and for H. 781 and H. 1305 on medication synchronization to improve adherence. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• had to go back and redo a major, I think I'd focus more on psychology, specifically early child development
• the atmosphere, that environment that allowed me to connect with people that helped me to grow and develop
• South Florida, and my kids were in school, and we used to go up there for Odyssey of the Mind, competition
• The county sees it as a very strong investment in economic development.
• I'm also responsible for developing local articulation agreements with our state college and some of

Summary: The subcommittee began with an informal “college day” exercise in which members described what careers and colleges they would choose if starting over, often citing factors such as program reputation, location, cost, graduation rates, employment outcomes, and family or personal interests. Members mentioned a range of possible paths including law, aviation, education, construction management, psychology, social work, criminal justice, nursing, intelligence studies, and the arts. Several also highlighted the value of historically Black colleges and universities, dual enrollment, and career/technical education. The chair used the exercise to frame the meeting’s broader focus on Florida’s higher education pathways and student outcomes. Dr. Kathleen Plinsky of Valencia College then gave an overview of the Florida College System and Valencia’s role in it, emphasizing Florida’s statewide articulation and transfer framework, open-access mission, affordability, and workforce alignment. She described Valencia’s record enrollment, high retention, large share of first-generation and working students, and partnerships such as Direct Connect to UCF, Osceola Prosper, and Open Door grants for short-term training. Members asked about guaranteed transfer, apprenticeships, enrollment trends, student demographics, out-of-state residency, county scholarship costs, dual enrollment outcomes, and barriers to expanding career dual enrollment. Dr. Plinsky said the system supports transfer and acceleration well, but funding constraints limit growth in some areas; she also noted that dual enrollment participation is high and that Valencia’s affordability and student support efforts have driven recent enrollment gains. Dr. Jim Clark of Florida State University followed with an overview of the State University System, describing its governance, performance-based funding, low tuition, and strong graduation and research outcomes. He highlighted FSU’s enrollment, research profile, transfer student success, FSU Health, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, partnerships with K-12 schools and Tallahassee State College, and efforts to expand nursing and medical education to address workforce shortages. After the presentations, the committee heard from a panel on student acceleration and mobility: Shannon Mercer of the Department of Education explained the Office of Articulation, the statewide course numbering system, FASTER records, the 2+2 transfer model, specialized AA transfer degrees, and credit for industry certifications, military, medical, and law-enforcement training. Panelists from Kaiser University, Florida State University, and Pinellas County Schools described their institutions’ roles in transfer, advising, career pathways, apprenticeships, and dual enrollment. No formal votes or bills were taken up in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The CMS is requiring states to apply through a competitive process.
• We're not in competition. We're not biased.
• I think it is a competitive process.
• That's a competitive grant process.
• So we do try and do career development.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So concerns about cost of living, tax competitiveness, and regulatory competitiveness are all going to
• monitor. ...put pressure on our revenue outlooks, and we, of course, are continuing to monitor these developments
• blackout with energy, like we had with that really small issue related to the water shortage on that development
• have to be really careful with the energy production and think about the utilities as economic development
• disappointing that we worked so hard to get extra money put in that Rainy Day Fund to keep the economic development

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: At the April meeting of the Finance Advisory Committee, staff presented an updated state revenue forecast that was more cautious than January’s because of heightened economic uncertainty tied to the Iran conflict and broader national risks. The general fund’s available resources were revised down from $577 million in January to $378 million in the April forecast, with the lower estimate driven by reduced revenue projections while spending assumptions were unchanged. Staff said the outlook depends heavily on how long the Middle East conflict lasts and noted that a prolonged disruption could weaken the forecast further, while a quick resolution could improve conditions. George Hammond of the University of Arizona gave a broad economic overview, highlighting geopolitical risk, elevated oil and gasoline prices, sticky inflation, weak Arizona job growth, and uncertainty around federal policy, tariffs, immigration, and AI-related investment. He said Arizona’s recent job growth has been very weak and concentrated mainly in health services, while most other sectors lost jobs, and he attributed much of the slowdown to low hiring rather than layoffs. He also discussed population growth, noting that Arizona remains above the national average but is increasingly dependent on net migration as natural increase slows, and he warned that housing affordability remains strained even as Phoenix inflation has moderated. Panelists generally echoed the cautious outlook but pointed to some offsets. Liz St. Clair said Arizona’s near-term revenues could benefit from tourism tied to spring training and the Final Four, though higher fuel costs could dampen discretionary spending. Other panelists noted that the federal policy environment, tariffs, and immigration changes are likely to restrain growth, while productivity gains, especially from technology and AI, may help businesses maintain output. Several members also discussed housing, saying single-family permits have fallen while rental supply has improved affordability, and they raised concerns about labor-force growth, wage disparities, and the reliability of recent employment data revisions. No formal votes or actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So concerns about cost of living, tax competitiveness, and regulatory competitiveness are all going to
• We are continuing to monitor these developments really closely.
• blackout with energy, like we had with that really small issue related to the water shortage on that development
• have to be really careful with the energy production and think about the utilities as economic development
• disappointing that we worked so hard to get extra money put in that Rainy Day Fund to keep the economic development

Summary: The Finance Advisory Committee received an update on the state revenue forecast and broader economic conditions. Staff said the April forecast was more cautious than January’s, citing greater uncertainty from the Iran conflict and other macroeconomic risks. Available general fund resources for the four-year period were revised down from $577 million in January to $378 million in April, with no change to expenditure estimates. George Hammond of the University of Arizona then presented on the national, state, and local economy, emphasizing risks from geopolitical conflict, tariffs, federal policy uncertainty, labor supply constraints, and elevated housing costs. He said Arizona job growth had been weak and driven mainly by health care, while inflation in Phoenix remained moderate but shelter and consumer commodity prices were still elevated. He also noted that population growth is increasingly dependent on net migration as natural increase slows. Panelists generally echoed the cautious outlook. Liz St. Clair said Arizona’s near-term revenue outlook still had some support from tourism and a strong spring season, but rising fuel costs and the duration of the Middle East conflict could pressure discretionary spending and revenues. Jim Rounds argued the economy was likely headed for a soft landing, though he warned that federal borrowing, inflation, workforce shortages, and energy reliability remain concerns; he also criticized leaving the Rainy Day Fund unused. Danny Court said the housing market remains under pressure on the ownership side, while rental supply and industrial demand have been relatively strong, and he noted sticky inflation and immigration declines as additional risks. Doug Walls explained that large employment benchmark revisions were affecting Arizona’s job numbers, and said the latest report showed slower but more balanced growth, though labor force declines and a higher unemployment rate were concerning. Lorenzo Romero added that business activity appears resilient in the low-hire, low-fire environment, but warned about debt burdens, uneven wage growth, and ongoing uncertainty. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have to be competitive with other universities so that we can keep our top talent here. in Minnesota
• Students come here for a hands-on learning opportunity with lab work, product development, and real-world
• We're after competitive, modern, convenient, and safe facilities for our classrooms, laboratories, shops
• most important bond funding you give us, but it also seems to be the first that gets cut in the development
• The studies we are proposing are the first step for Minnesota to develop a long-term plan to significantly

Bills: HF3220

Keywords: school safety, school security, emergency access, law enforcement access, master key box, secure key box, entry device, school grants, education finance, Department of Education, charter schools, school districts, cooperative units, appropriation cancellation, one-time appropriation, school safety plan, emergency preparedness, public safety, school building security

Transcript Highlights:

• Issues contributing to the CPA talent shortage within the public sector have been developing over many
• And there's also resource and funding constraints that make it difficult to pay competitive salaries
• to CPAs and competitive fees to CPA firms that audit governments.
• Similarly, Senate Bill 1420, which was related to economic development, it created a new Which was related
• to economic development.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to receive annual overviews of its oversight responsibilities and the work of the Auditor General and OPAGA. Committee staff reviewed the committee’s authority over state and local governments, enforcement of audit-report filing requirements, repeated audit findings, Transparency Florida reporting, and lobbying compensation audits. Auditor General Cheryl Norman described her office’s independence, audit standards, quality control, and major audit areas, including the state’s annual financial and single audits, school district and university audits, operational and performance audits, and attestation work. She also noted staffing shortages, recruitment efforts, and a request for carry-forward funds to study salaries. Members asked about whether audits can quantify recoverable dollars, how school district spending comparisons are handled, and how to raise concerns about DCF-related audits or a local city audit that has been pending for years. Norman said her office can quantify findings when possible, sometimes compares costs across districts in operational audits, and that members can bring specific concerns to the appropriate deputy auditor general or the committee. She also explained that citizen or local-government audit requests may require payment of audit costs. OPAGA Coordinator Kara Collins-Gomez outlined OPAGA’s role as a legislative research unit that conducts studies directed by law, the presiding officers, or the committee, and described its policy areas, methodologies, contract monitoring, and recurring statutory reports. Deputy Auditor General Matthew Tracy explained how to read operational audit reports, including findings, criteria, condition, cause, effect, recommendations, and management responses. Deputy Auditor General Greg Senators explained financial audit reports, including audit opinions, required supplementary information, internal control and compliance findings, federal program compliance, and management letters. The meeting concluded with thanks to the presenters and a motion to adjourn, which passed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:13.480> Uh development process for this bill.
• Uh development process for this bill.
• And so with that, just more competition brings down costs.
• Part of this came up when the ACA was first developed.
• than large cash offers, more competition than large cash offers, more competition for<01:25:26.240

Bills: HF3766, HF3972, HF3437, HF4118

Keywords: travel insurance, regulation, insurance licensing, consumer protection, travel assistance, short-term rental, vacation rental, home sharing, rental marketplace, online platform, property damage guarantee, damage waiver, reimbursement insurance, insurance regulation, commerce department, platform user, Airbnb, Vrbo, host protection, rental home marketplace

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 108 will establish surveillance, coordinate responses, and help communities develop evidence-based
• With that, they have developed a list of 22 of the most impacted communities, and this would be acted
• Extreme heat, extreme cold, you know, so that's really how this program is developed: to ensure that
• Madam Chair, Representative Block, no, it does not require changes regarding the development.
• They'll be working with the local communities to analyze that data and help them develop those plans.

Transcript Highlights:

• instruction for English learners, such as bilingual and dual-language instructional models that help develop
• notification and read-at-home plans recognize that families are essential partners in literacy development
• Literacy is foundational to everything we care about: workforce readiness, economic competitiveness,
• And what it's done for us is really allowed our professional development to be more intentional and driven
• Our professional development to be more intentional and driven by student data.

Bills: SB29, SB37

Keywords: SB29, math requirements for teaching license, teacher licensure, teacher endorsement, mathematics methods, elementary education, secondary education, special education, early childhood education, reciprocity, Public Education Department, Mathematics and Science Education Act, mathematics instructional leadership framework, professional learning plan, K-3 screening, mathematics screening assessment, mathematics difficulty, support plan, multilevel support, intervention

Transcript Highlights:

• So the developments in science and medicine around compounds that promote neuroplasticity and brain health
• They're sponsored by drug developers who are seeking FDA approval.
• Our mission at SRI is not to be a traditional drug developer.
• You know, we're not trying to be a... ...is not to be a traditional drug developer.
• And what drives innovation is competition.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Access to Breakthrough Mental Health Therapies met to discuss psychedelic-assisted treatments for serious mental health conditions, with a focus on psilocybin, ibogaine, MDMA, and related compounds. The chair framed the issue as a clinical and access problem for veterans, first responders, and others with PTSD, depression, TBI, addiction, and suicidal ideation, emphasizing that these therapies are intended for supervised medical settings rather than take-home use. Members reviewed research claims and policy trends, including FDA breakthrough therapy designations, state-level psychedelic legislation, and the role of Arizona’s right-to-try law in expanding access once federal approval is in place. Testimony came from Alan Mullen, a retired Army Special Forces veteran, who described his PTSD/TBI history and said ibogaine treatment helped him confront trauma and showed promise in reducing symptoms under strict medical monitoring. Dr. Sue Cisley of Scottsdale Research Institute described ongoing FDA-controlled trials in Arizona, said current medications often fail high-need patients, and urged removal of research barriers and preparation for right-to-try and expanded access. Dan Freiberg of the Professional Firefighters of Arizona said firefighters face chronic exposure to trauma, often rely on alcohol or other coping mechanisms, and need effective alternatives beyond traditional therapy. Dr. Chung Trin discussed late-stage psychedelic trials, the FDA breakthrough pathway, safety oversight, and the need for state readiness when approvals occur. Committee members asked about how the treatments work, whether they require psychotherapy support, safety concerns including suicidality and black-market abuse, patenting and synthetic versus natural versions, and costs compared with ketamine and other treatments. Witnesses said the therapies are administered with extensive screening, monitoring, and integration support, and argued that addiction potential appears low under medical supervision. The discussion ended with interest in sending correspondence to federal officials to support right-to-try cooperation and in continuing the research and policy work; no formal vote or action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Workforce Development. Thank you all for joining us today.
• to collaborate with the Economic Development Department to connect the economic development initiatives
• Development Program.
• Like a private developer that's building, developing land.
• Wages are not competitive with other industries.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:11:08.640> of always liken um the development of always liken um the development of curriculum
• Competition makes this possible.
• We're not going to get<03:13:10.720> competition.
• We're not going to save get competition.
• some of our like software developing some of our like software developing companies<03:30:01.600

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of 65 high school teams in a crowded and competitive field.
• in a crowded and competitive teams in a crowded and competitive field.<00:53:55.040> The<00:53
• I the competitiveness of college sports.
• But competition and force projection.
• These students develop missions.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 14, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Today's hearing of the Minnesota Senate Committee on Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development
• um developed the language for the bill. um developed the language for the bill.
• We had some competition. competition. competition.
• And livestock producers, they don’t fear competition, but we do need to have a level playing field for
• And livestock producers, they don’t fear competition, but we do need to have a level playing field for

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• says that personal days or emergency days can be rolled into sick days, but that's kind of what's developed
• so I know in several of those school districts they've used the benefit package like this as a competitive
• so I know in several of those school districts they've used the benefit package like this as a competitive
• so I know in several of those school districts they've used the benefit package like this as a competitive
• I know in several of those school districts they've used the benefit package like this as a competitive

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:44 Attendance Roll Call: 00:55 SB 193 (Sen. Girdler): 01:53 SB 9 (Sen. Higdon): 03:22 SB 257 (Sen. Tichenor): 34:14 Adjournment: 50:57, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government first took up Senate Bill 193, a simple measure described as restoring wallet cards for jailers to carry when they are outside the jail. The sponsor noted the fiscal impact was essentially zero, there were no questions, and the committee approved the bill 9-0 for passage to the Senate floor. The committee then heard Senate Bill 9, sponsored by Senator Higdon, which would change how the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) treats sick leave, personal leave, and annual leave in retirement calculations. The sponsor argued the bill is intended to address TRS’s financial challenges by standardizing leave rules statewide, limiting TRS retirement credit to 10 sick days and 2 personal days per year, preventing annual leave from being rolled into sick leave, requiring districts to pay the actuarial cost for any leave beyond the cap, and adding reporting and oversight requirements for participating agencies. He also said the bill would add 30 days of maternity leave, allow voluntary district contributions for tier four teachers, and direct the state auditor to audit TRS and report on agencies. Committee members asked about how overages would be audited and billed, the cost of a sick day, and how the bill would interact with local leave policies, including paid parental leave in some districts. The sponsor clarified that existing accumulated leave would not be affected, that the bill applies going forward, and that districts could still offer more leave but would bear the added cost. Members also discussed whether the maternity leave language set a cap or a minimum, and one senator noted the bill was intended to preserve personal days while stopping annual leave from being converted into pension credit. No vote on Senate Bill 9 was shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, let's see, uh, On page 5, Senate Bill 169, the strategic Economic Development site Readiness.
• I think you've developed quite the plan as we see every year.
• Um, Uh, we're going to focus on water, we're going to focus on the grid development, uh, to Tying to
• So starting with energy growth and modernization, $10 million was appropriated for the development and
• The building and development community, water reuse professionals, and water water policymakers in a